Creamy Lemon Pasta

This creamy, bright lemon pasta is just right for a great easy and fast vegetarian dinner. If you want to reduce calories, you can substitute the cream for a rich vegetable stock or chicken stock if keeping it vegetarian is not a consideration.  If using stock, I would add a teaspoon corn starch when thickening sauce). This also can be "hefted up" by adding sautéed fish, shrimp or chicken.

1 lemon
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream
1# spaghetti
3 Tbsp. butter, in pieces
4 oz. Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 to 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and fresh black pepper, to taste 

Zest lemon and slice into matchsticks. Juice lemon, strain and reserve. Place zest in a large non-reactive pan with wine and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium high and cook until it reduces to a syrupy mixture, about 1/4 cup, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove from heat and pour in about a 1/4 cup of the cream (stock). Stir, then pour in remaining cream (stock with corn starch). Return to heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened and reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente; reserve 1/2 cup cooking water and drain.

Return the hot pasta pot to the stove. Pour in cream mixture (stock), butter and lemon juice; stir, then add hot drained pasta and a few tablespoons of cooking water. Toss together and then the cheese in 3 or 4 parts, tossing each to meld with sauce. Add more cooking water if sauce is too thick and crumbly.

Plate each portion of pasta on plates and drizzle each with olive oil, a little sea salt and pepper. Serve and enjoy!